eSpecially Ben

I read this just now and had to share it: 37 Random Acts of Kindness This one just might inspire you to act.

The physical therapist at school started using the  Dynamic Stander  with Ben and he seems to enjoy being in it. If he chooses to, he can use his hands to roll the big wheels and move around the classroom. The operative word is "choose". The staff will have Ben use the stander one hour in the morning, and eventually add another hour in the afternoon.  I am hoping we can borrow it for the summer. Cool gizmo!

Kindermourn is a local organization that helps families through the grieving process by offering support groups and counseling. Hope Floats is their fundraiser, a duck race at the US National Whitewater Center . We attended the event last weekend. 15,000 ducks in a cage were lowered down from a crane and released into the water. The winning duck brings in $3500. The little yellow dots you see in the photos are the rubber duckies, think Ernie and Bert in rub-a-dub in a tub. Not at all enthused by the ducks, Ben got a little love from the same dog we saw a few weeks ago at the whitewater center.

Ben will be 10 years old this summer. He is getting taller, stronger and more independent. When I see him do something almost quite age appropriate, I am stopped in my tracks. This day was one of them. I never dreamed that Ben would sit at the table and eat his snack and drink without supervision and without swiping the drink and plate off the table. If he looks a little proud in the photos, you are correct. He knew he was doing something so cool.

We were fortunate to be given tickets to UNC Charlotte's first football scrimmage ever. This fall will mark the first official season of football at my Alma mater. The sport that has been cause for decades of controversy and elaborate, yet false legendary stories about why a team was not possible at the University.

Thursday, April 25 is  Pay It Forward Day Pay it Forward Day is in its seventh year, and on Thursday, April 25th  you and your family will have the opportunity to participate. Inspired by the book and movie, ‘Pay it Forward’ involves people doing random acts of kindness for others without expecting anything in return. Instead, recipients are instructed to ‘pay the kindness forward’ to others in need, essentially creating a positive ripple effect of giving.

Ben's visit to the dentist to show off his new 1/4 length front tooth proved informative and anticlimactic. After a quick look and an X-ray, it was determined that the root was fine. The dentist explained in a round-about story that included the Baseball Hall of Fame that kids have been cracking their teeth for as long as kids and teeth (and baseballs) have existed. Many do not ever get them fixed. A bit confused about our options after that story, I still asked what the process would be for replacing the tooth. The bottom line was that with a bond or composite "glued" to Ben's tooth, it will most likely come off again in any number of scenarios. We agreed to try it in the near future, possibly this summer. The procedure is done in the office, but Ben will have to stay still and that's why I will call in the big guns, a.k.a. Ryan. Eventually, a cap will be put on the tooth, but I believe Ben will have to be put out and based on the dentist's recommendation